Hidden Agenda
by ToniJohnston
Summary: Being at her ultimate end, and accepting it Alice cant help but feeling a little frustrated that Delta saved her sorry ass, and now it seems she's stuck with them. Being from different backgrounds and having different missions, personalities clash and her secret becomes ever harder to keep.
1. Chapter 1

As the grubs scaly fist collides with my face once again, I realize that I've stopped fighting back and I lay motionless on my back with the filthy drone sitting atop me preparing to serve my execution. Damn glad no ones around to see this, how embarrassing.

I close my eyes and let my mind drift, there's no way out of this, in a way I'm glad. My squad's dead, I've failed my mission and the world has gone to hell in a hand basket. I have no one left to fight for, I've changed so much myself that I can't even happily fight for myself anymore. I don't know who I am, I'm certainly not who I used to be, which is why I've survived so long.

The ringing in my ears is making it hard to come to peace, but I think I've almost got it, I swallow the warm blood pooling in my mouth, choke on it a little and smile. Time to go.

I feel a warmth spread over my body… huh, death is kind of nice. The weight atop of me shifts and flattens against my chest pushing the remaining air out of my lungs, and by the feel of it cracking a few ribs. I gasp momentarily before my world turns dark, but not before a dreadful realization dawns on me. Someone killed the drone, someone saw me give up. I hope to hell I don't wake up after this.


	2. Chapter 2

I glance cautiously around as we jog up to the poor bastard who just had the life beat out of them, there's grubs and gears alike littering the street.

"What the hell do you suppose went down here?" I wonder aloud.

"I donno, lets just see if there's anything we can use." Marcus replies.

"Hey, Marcus? You don't think he's still alive do you?" Dom asks, always the saint.

"One way to find out."

As we draw in on the drone laying on top of a small frame I hesitate for a moment, they can't be COG, this guy is tiny.

Probably some stranded kid who found some armour, but that cant be right either, the boots poking out from under the drone are small too, like they were made for this guy.

Curiosity gets the better of me and we each grab an arm or leg and haul the drone off the lifeless form.

"Holy shit. It's a chick." I mutter, as I drop the drones leg.

Dom drops to the ground beside the girl, rips off one of his gloves and checks her pulse.

The rest of us stand around uselessly and stare at her, she's been beaten to a pulp, her face a bloody, swollen mess. Her armour is what stumps me though, it fits her well but it's different than ours. The base colour is a dark grey, with gold details, including the COG symbol on front, but unlike anything I've ever seen.

"She was just alive, Marcus. We can bring her back." Dom looks at Marcus expectantly.

Marcus glances around quickly assessing the situation before crouching down next to the girl.

"We have five minutes to get her back and then we're leaving, got it?" He says to Dom, who nods enthusiastically.

They work at getting her chest plate off as Cole and I stand watch, Marcus begins pumping down on her chest and pauses as Dom begins mouth to mouth.

A relatively normal thing to see out in the field, but I feel uncomfortable watching.

As we hit the four minute mark the girl gasps jolting upright, Dom sighs in relief a grin breaking out on his face.

"Hey, take it easy, you're okay." He says gently, easing her back down.

Her face contorts in pain as she looks at Dom, "Damn." She mutters before her eyes flutter shut again.

I snort, "Not the pretty face she was hoping to wake up to."

Dom rolls his eyes at me and turns to Marcus, "What now?"

Marcus presses a finger to his comms, "Control, we've got a little situation down here and could use some assistance." He pauses waiting for a response, "Control, come in."

I look up to the quickly darkening sky and glance at the buildings around us hoping we don't have crosshairs on our foreheads right now.

"Cole, Baird you two go clear out the far west building and gather any supplies we might be able to use. Looks like we're camping out for the night."

I sigh and glance at the girl, I hope to hell she's worth this.

Kicking a trash can as I walk into the abandoned building I regret it instantly as it clangs along the ground, I shrug figuring I may as well make the most of it, if there's anything in here we're about to rain hell on them anyway, "Honey, I'm home!"

Cole chuckles behind me, "The master of subtlety."

I shrug and proceed to sweep the lower level with Cole at my six, "So what do you reckon, is Dom calling dibs?"

"Calling dibs? Damon, that's no way to talk about a lady." Cole chuckles, "And no, I don't, he aint the type. More like he'll mother her and not let anyone 'call dibs' on her."

"Do you think she's even COG? She just looked like a kid."

"She was wearing tags, and her armour seemed modified, how would she stumble across gear like that to fit her perfectly?" he mused.

"Have you seen that kind of armour before?" I think back to the gold detail and darker grey base.

"I thought it was onyx?"

"Nah, their gear is black." I stomp my way up the rotting stairs, wondering if it was a home done job.

After we 'clear out' the already empty building we make our way back outside where nightfall is well underway.

Marcus looks up as we approach he has a couple of lanterns in his hands, "Lets get inside and light theses up before the kryll come out."

"I saw a back up generator in the basement back there, I can try and start it up, at least get a few lights working." I offer as Dom scoops the girl gently into his arms, her head lolls against his bicep.

"Might attract unwanted attention." Marcus replies.

I shrug, "Looks like all the unwanted attention has already been splattered across the street."

"Fair point. Alright, start it up, but be on guard."

I nod and make my way back to the basement, the generator needed a little tinkering, but nothing I couldn't handle. I finish up as Marcus walks through the front door followed by Dom carrying our mystery girl, she's curled up in his arms looking tiny and fragile.

"Any beds?" Dom glances my way then down the hall.

"None fit for our majesty here, they're all rotted to the core. Just lay her on the couch." I gesture to the living room that's all but been trashed.

Cole appears in the hallway grinning, "Woo! Cole train hit the jackpot!"

Dom shoots him a dirty look and glances back down at the girl an anxious expression upon his face, I roll my eyes at him and move to Cole.

"What did you get?" I ask praying its actually something useful.

He tosses me a can and I rub away some dirt off the label, tinned food, I shake my head in disbelief and look up at Cole like he's a godsend.

"Please tell me there's more than one measly can? Otherwise we're keeping this to ourselves. Santiago and Fenix are too caught up in that girl anyway, they'd never know."

"There's enough to go 'round Damon, don't you worry. Even for our girl if she decides to wake up."

"Yeah well if she doesn't, I'm eating it." I toss the can back to him and make my way to the lounge.

"Cole found some processed meat in a can, probably ten years out of date but who am I to complain." I tell Marcus and Dom.

Marcus nods, "Better heat it up then. Make sure all the doors and windows are shut, or at least blocked over. Don't need anyone smelling it and coming over for dinner."


End file.
